OK to use foliage spray as a water supplement?

[Paul M. Cook]

I have a quantity of calicium water - 10% - which is a foliage spray concentrate. Would it be OK to use this as a dilution and just water the plants with it?

[David Hare-Scott]

What is calcium water? What is in it and at what strength? Why do you want to water plants with it? Which plants and where are they?

David

[Paul M. Cook]

My tomatoes are getting quite big and I wanted to avoid BER. This stuff is called Foli-Cal. I just don't want to waste it if the plants can't absorb it by the roots. The bottle says calcium derived from calcium acetate. It aint cheap.

Paul

[Wallace]

isn't that how you are supposed to use it? By diluting and wetting the plants?

I missing your question here?

[Paul M. Cook]

Water the roots, not spray the plants. I am lazy and I don't want to buy a whole sprayer just for this. I was just thinking of adding the concentrate to the irrigation water.

Paul

[Billy]

Hmmm. Six grams of chalk in a 100 ml bottle of vinegar. People buy this stuff you say?

[Paul M. Cook]

Yep.

Paul

[David Hare-Scott]

They can absorb it through the roots but it will not be absorbed as fast or as efficiently as a foliar feeder. Particularly if the soil is very sandy such soluble compounds leach out fairly easily.

The bottle says calcium derived

There is no reason that I know for such to be expensive. If this is an issue then use it in the way that it is intended which will be less wasteful. In future give your tomatoes some gyspsum or if the soil is acid some lime or dolomite. Also try to avoid extremes of drying out or wetting as this can interfere with calcium metabolism and cause BER too.

David

[Paul M. Cook]

Yeah, I am learning. I tend to just buy off the shelf stuff instead of going old school. 12 bucks for a pint (enough for 16 gallons) is expensive but I'll be wiser next time. I lost almost all my tomatoes last year to BEER and I am loathe to repeat the experience. I'll just dump out an old bottle of windows cleaner and use that as the sprayer.

Paul